


Water That's Thicker Than Blood

by TumblingBackpacks



Series: What It's All Worth [1]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Developing Friendships, Found Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Sleepy Bois Inc as Family, Technobackstory, Technoblade Hears Voices (Video Blogging RPF), Wilbur Soot and Technoblade and TommyInnit are Siblings, and how techno becomes friends with False, basically how philza adopts techno
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-15 05:28:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28933296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TumblingBackpacks/pseuds/TumblingBackpacks
Summary: For as long as Techno can remember, he's been a fighter in the pit. He fights to survive because losing means he won't be around to see tomorrow. He's not quite sure how to react when Philza takes him out of the fights and accepts him into his family instead.ORWhen Techno enters the Hypixel arenas, he expects to find a sensei to help him train. Coincidentally, so does False (ft.✨friendships✨)ORTechnoloreTM, the fic(prequel to "Friends Worth Fighting For")
Relationships: FalseSymmetry & Technoblade, Technoblade & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Wilbur Soot & Technoblade, Wilbur Soot & Technoblade & TommyInnit & Phil Watson
Series: What It's All Worth [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2122557
Comments: 10
Kudos: 116





	1. Chapter 1

Gladiatorial combat isn’t a new concept, and for Techno, it’s all he knows. He learns very quickly that it’s fight or die, and he has no intention of dying. He doesn’t think anyone does, really, but sometimes it does seem like the tempting way out.

There are two people Techno knows to be careful of, Handler and Manager. He’s aware enough to know those are not their names, but he doesn't particularly care to bother finding out. He isn’t high enough in ranking to know what their real names are, and they wouldn’t hold enough relevance to be useful to him.

Techno learns of Handler first. He is tossed into a pit with other children and told to fight. The first body hits the floor and Techno wants to run. There’s so much blood and he doesn’t like the way that blank eyes stare up at nothing as red seeps into the floor. 

By the time Handler yells at them to stop, he’s panting and shaking and just really lucky to not be one of the discarded. The remaining children are taken to the back and given a portion of food. Techno only gets through half of it before Handler is back, shouting to continue the training. He shouts at them a lot. The biting hunger in his stomach reminds him to eat quicker next time. 

Handler is in charge of their group. There are other handlers, Techno thinks, but they aren’t relevant enough to him for him to bother trying to keep track. Children rotate in all the time, and Techno learns that there is no way out unless it’s through death. 

Handler tells them that he’s in charge of making sure they perform. He’s here as a trainer to _motivate_ them. Techno knows better than to question his methods of _motivation_. Questioning Handler would be disobedient, and disobedience means punishment. He keeps his mouth shut and forges onward.

The ones who live to survive another day are the ones strong enough to do so. There are some new kids that come in too scared to fight. They’re tossed into the pit, and they freeze. They curl up on the floor. They cry. They’re vulnerable, and the vulnerable are not spared. 

Emotions are nothing but a distraction. If anything, Techno finds, they’re a weakness. Techno shoves all of his down and focuses himself on the reality in front of him. He can’t afford to dwell on the past, and the future brings on the same as the present. 

Kindness does not garner support. There was one older kid who did their very best to help the younger in the group. They had been there long enough to pick up some techniques in the arena. Techno is grateful for the aid, it doesn’t stop him from bringing down his sword on them when the audience calls for it.

Techno learns that information is valuable and rest is a waste of time. He can’t afford to spend any time not practicing to get better, because any time he squanders is time that someone else could be training, and that means the possibility of being overtaken. The consequences for such a fate are ingrained into his mind. 

He learns to fight, he learns to survive, he learns how to _win_ , no matter the tactic he needs to employ to achieve it. He learns the importance of agility and strength, and aims for the legs to restrict the same in his opponents. He knows that they wouldn’t hesitate to do the same if his sword hadn’t reached them first.

It’s around this time that Techno starts to notice a new presence in his head. Or maybe it was always there and he just hadn’t noticed it before? It starts out small, a dull ringing in his head. Just the constant sound of _EEEEE!_ in the background of his mind. He gets used to it.

When he gets his first win, his first win for a _real_ fight, the sound changes. This isn’t like the practice matches where his only purpose was get beat up or get better, this was in front of a crowd. People were cheering, booing, just the general yelling and it was all _so loud_ . But all of that faded out once the body was on the floor in front of him, and the noise in his head shifted from a repetitive screech to a coherent chant. _Blood for the blood god!_

The sounds of the crowd start to fade out, and all he can hear is his own breathing and the voices. Techno is supposed to toss down his sword, return to the training quarters after a match. He doesn’t. He just stands there, looking up at the audience, as the voices pound in his head.

Handler sees he’s not going out of the pit, and comes to deal with Techno himself. The voices start to reach a crescendo as Techno feels the hand grab his arm, and he reacts, lashing out. Handler puts his face in the floor for his disobedience, but Techno can’t help but feel at least a little proud that Handler didn’t come out unscathed either.

He’s not surprised by the punishment, but it grates at him nonetheless. They restrict his food portions, and the voices grow louder with his anger. They tell him to do better in the arena, fight harder. He gives in to their demands. They cheer him on, pushing him further, and he acts accordingly. 

Techno doesn’t question the voices, doesn’t stop them. And why should he if they help him survive another day? As long as they help him see tomorrow, he can deal with it. That’s how it’s always been. That’s how it continues to be.

Techno makes his way up the chain, gaining more attention as he does so. People in the audience start to point him out as “the pig”. He wins enough to be recognizable, that has to be worth something, right?

He starts to see Manager more often as his reputation for winning builds. The audience loves him, and he quickly becomes a fan favorite. He can’t take the time to really process all the words, but he hears enough around the arena to understand that he’s _special_ because he’s a rarity— a _novelty_. 

Techno doesn’t particularly care for their words as long as they offer him an advantage. Manager gives him a stage name to capitalize on Techno’s rising popularity. “The Blade”, Manager says, for the way that he cuts through his opponents. Techno the Blade sounds too reminiscent of Techno the Pig for him to be comfortable with, so he tacks it to the end of his name and tries to make it his own.

Technoblade. It’s a step up, he thinks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Technolore about the pit inspired by [chapter 28](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28235151/chapters/69406080) of "The Friends We Made Along the Way" by redcursive. 
> 
> Techno is a piglin hybrid forced into combat and this fic is going to branch into SMPEarth and Hypixel to establish family dynamics within SBI as well as Techno and False meeting. It was originally just going to be added to "Friends Worth Fighting For" but it went on a bit too long and would break the flow of the story, so separate fic :)


	2. Chapter 2

The favor Technoblade gains from the audience does nothing to ease the tension between himself and the other combatants. If anything, it makes them resent him more. He does his best to ignore the glares, reminding himself that none of their feelings will matter once they’re tossed into the pit. It’s not worth the effort to convince them to like him. 

Manager offers him little scraps of freedom that Techno hoards defensively. He understands that the extra free time receives is a privilege. Additional food portions are a privilege. Any advantage that comes remotely within his reach, he takes. 

The only person he can trust is himself, and he knows that he needs to play into the interests of Manager if he wants to get any higher. When Techno gets guided into the stands, he makes sure to show the image that the audience wants to see. He’s a champion, he should be reveling in it. 

So he does. It’s all smiles to the audience, to adoring fans who think he’s doing _so well_. He knows all too well that the mood will shift dramatically once he’s back behind closed doors, but he’s practiced enough to take on the challenge. Techno keeps telling himself that it will be worth it.

His assurances prove themselves to be true when he eventually gets his own room. It’s tiny, barely larger than a closet really, but it’s private. It’s a space that none of the other trainees have access to, a space that Manager doesn’t care enough to monitor. It’s a space he can finally call his own. 

He’s noticed how guidelines have begun to loosen on him. He is careful not to indulge in them too much. He’s expected to act a certain way, and he doesn’t want to lose the few privileges he had worked so hard to gain because he was being _careless_. It’s alright though, he’s patient. He learns to manage. 

Techno sees less of Handler as the man turns his focus to newer trainees. It’s a small reprieve. It means he isn’t watched as often, but it also means that he’s more valuable in terms of profits. It means that audience retention rates for his fights are being monitored by Manager with a critical eye. It means higher stakes for failure. 

Regardless, he learns to adapt. Adapting is one of the most valuable skills he has, and it’s the main asset that helps him continue succeeding. With the reputation he’s gained, it’s become more than just surviving a fight. It’s even gone past simply _winning_ , if he doesn’t put on a show that entertains, he’s not going to last for much longer. 

The voices are surprisingly helpful with this, and amidst the calls for chaos and violence and blood, he is able to pick out several bits of good advice. He finds that pleasing the needs of a crowd of people is a lot easier than trying to balance all the different demands the voices toss at him. 

He eventually gets moved to a different arena. It’s still essentially a pit, but the floors are lined with blackstone rather than just dirt. The fights are _slightly_ more civil, at least based on the standard that he’s facing others who were able to ‘champion’ status. 

Fights no longer being a free-for-all deathmatch simply means Techno has to adjust to making sure that his opponents are unable to get up after a fight. Whether their injuries hinder them in their next match is not a concern to him. 

He finds that people that make up the audience of this arena are more generous with their praises. They sometimes toss in gold nuggets, chipping them into the arena like it doesn’t matter to them. It probably doesn’t. Techno bets it’s like pocket change for them.

They often litter the floor, scattered around like pebbles that act as tripping hazards in the midst of a battle. It’s annoying, and Techno sneaks back into the pit to collect them. The bright color contrasts starkly with the blackstone floor, making them easy to see. He can’t gather too many without drawing attention, but he takes enough out of the arena for them to stop being a disadvantage. 

He can’t bring himself to discard the nuggets. It feels like a waste, so he keeps them instead. Only the voices are aware of the way he stashes them all away, out of sight, tucked into the relative privacy of his room.

Collections get integrated into his daily routine. Techno tells himself that he doesn’t have hoarding problems as his cluster of gold nuggets continues to grow. It doesn’t matter that he doesn’t have a use for them at the moment, he just likes having them. They’re fascinating. He feels justified. 

Techno finds a book at one point. It’s at the edge where the audience stands, meets the arena. He nearly misses it, the dirt coating the cover causing it to blend in with the floor. He picks it up, quickly tucking it under his shirt as he sneaks back to his room. 

He gets a chance to examine the book more later. Flipping through, he can see that it has pictures, particularly ones of people fighting in different stances. He recognizes a few from the arena. There are words below them, but Techno can’t comprehend what they say. 

He wants to learn. He’s never been granted the luxury of a teacher.

Techno is suddenly aware of how forbidden this is. He wasn’t supposed to have any of this-- not the gold nuggets, not the book, not the disobedient thoughts of making something of himself beyond a fighter. The book was clearly meant to be someone’s garbage, he shouldn’t have it.

And yet, the dangerously ambitious part of him, the part that he purposely suppressed when his entire focus was on making sure he performed, tells him to keep going. He’s already gone this far without being caught, why not continue?

One part of him says it’s too dangerous. The risks far outweigh the rewards and the consequences of being caught will be devastating.

Another part of him says that if the book was meant to be garbage, what else can he find among the discarded? 

\---

As it turns out, people throw away a lot of things. Sometimes they don’t throw it away, but simply don’t notice when an item just _happens_ to be relieved from their ownership. Theft is rampant in under the table places like the pit. No one notices if some items end up in Techno’s hands. 

Techno gains a new habit of gathering whatever items he is able to rifle from the garbage out back. He finds more books, saving the ones that are mostly words and treasuring the ones with pictures. He’s very possessive of them all, but he values the ones that provide use to him more.

He finds one in particular for crafting. He doesn’t have a bench, but he looks through all of them anyway. There are ways to craft without a bench, far more difficult methods, but Techno has lived through enough to realize that, anything he wants, he isn’t getting easily. 

The ones of immediate use to him are crafting ingots. It makes storage of his nuggets a lot easier, but more importantly, it expands the amount of items he can make. He fantasizes about the armor and the weapons, imagining how much easier fighting would be if he could use them in the arena. He has to remind himself that he can’t.

Beyond the necessity of keeping all of this a secret, the gold itself provides much use as a weapon beyond a blunt object to bash against someone’s head. If he wants a sword, he would need something for the hilt. He’s left with hoping that someone throws away a stick that would work as a suitable base.

He focuses on memorizing the potions next. Not that he has a brewing stand, but he’d like to be prepared should the opportunity arise. He memorizes how to make food. He memorizes how to make swords. The pictures show him exactly what he needs and he makes it a goal to collect them.

\---

Techno eventually does find a stick that works well enough. He doesn’t have experience with crafting weapons, so the sword comes out awkward, but it’s fine. The balance isn’t perfect, but the edge is sharp enough to cut. It’s good enough. He stores it away and continues to wait for an opportunity. 

He doesn’t have to wait as long as he expects. Food portions are being distributed when he sees it. An apple. It’s in the hands of another kid, but Techno is determined to get it. Manager doesn’t see a point in spending more on costs for the combatants’ upkeep than he needs to, so foods that can’t be kept for months on end, like fresh fruit, are a rarity. 

Honestly, _fresh_ is a generous descriptor. The apple looks a few days past its prime, but Techno doesn’t care. The voices tell him to just attack the kid for it. It’s the quickest method to get them out of the way. While Techno is inclined to agree, he doesn’t want to risk his standing with Manager for ‘injuring’ another fighter outside the pit.

He trades his entire food portion for the apple. The kid is hesitant at first, leveling a suspicious look at Techno, but the offer is far too tempting. The hunger and desire for food overcomes any drawbacks and they accept, handing Techno the apple. 

He grasped it protectively as he slipped away to sequester himself in his room. He pulled out the very first book he had retrieved, flipping through the pages until he found the right recipe. He needed to make sure he got this right.

Techno had just enough ingots to make it work. Lifting the golden apple in his palm, he managed a smile. The plan was… he didn’t really know. He didn’t have a plan. The voices were more than happy to fuel his motivation and feed him ideas.

_cue heist music_

_blood for the blood god!_

_jailbreak?_

_blood_

_revenge time_

This was impulsive. It was stupid. He decided he’s going through with it anyway.

He knows Manager would be at his office at the moment, but meal time won’t last for much longer, which means he needs to act quickly. He tucks the blade under his shirt, hoping to whatever higher power that he isn’t caught. 

He has one shot to get it right. If he fails this attempt, he knows there won’t be a second chance. Not even the audience’s favor towards him would spare him from Manager deciding he’s too much of a liability to maintain. 

He stops outside the office door, steeling himself as he bit down on the apple. He gagged at the texture and taste. It’s spoiled, he should have known that would have happened when using rotten fruit to craft. He chokes it down anyway. 

He knocks on the door, gripping the sword with both hands as he waits for Manager to respond. The door creaks open and Manager has a brief moment of surprise before Techno cuts into his leg, forcing him to stumble backward into the room.

Techno advances on him, fueled by the extra health and adrenaline and voices that call for him to kill. Manager has the size advantage, being both bigger and taller, but Techno was raised on fighting. He knew the Manager was not.

That knowledge doesn’t make it an easy fight, but when it’s all over, Manager is slumped on the floor in a puddle of his own blood. Techno is bloody and bruised but still manages to let out a small laugh, one filled with disbelief. 

Of course, he should have known better than to think that it would all be straightforward from there. The door to the office is still open, a fact he is reminded of when he hears a gasp behind him. He spins around to see Handler with a face full of fury.

Handler yells for back up, and Techno stabs him to get him out of the way as he races down the hall. He regrets that he wasn’t able to reach a more fatal spot for Handler, but feeling the effects of the golden apple start to fade, he knows he isn’t in a position to engage in another fight. Especially not with the arena ‘guards’ being called. 

Shouts ring out behind him and he risks a glance back to see a group of the guards chasing him down. The golden sword is too heavy to continue carrying as he runs, so he tosses it behind him, bolting towards the crowd outside, waiting to be let in for the next scheduled arena battle. 

He ignores the cries of shock as he shoves his bloodied self through, squishing between legs and dirtying more than one person’s clothing. He can hear more calls for people to catch him, and a quick look back shows that he’s still being chased. Technoblade summons all the will he has to not collapse and keep running. 

_Technoblade never dies!_

He just got out, and he’s not going down without a fight.

\---

He runs into a building, a random one. It’s rather nice, very clean, but mostly empty. He runs down one of the aisles, sees the shelves of books, and realizes he’s in a library. The sight is all it takes to make him regret having to leave his collection of books behind. If the situation wasn’t so dire, he’d be tempted to look through them. 

He darts behind a shelf, bumping directly into a man on the other side. Techno falls to the floor, and they share a look. The guards burst into the building, the clamor of noise bringing them back into reality. The man grabs his arm and shoves him under a nearby table. 

The man’s cloak nearly extends to the floor, obscuring Techno’s vision, but he can still hear the guards roaming past. He can hear the demands to know where he’s had gone, and clamps a hand over his mouth to stifle the surprise when the man tells the guards he hadn’t seen anything of the sort. The man further chastises the guards for being the disruptive ones, causing them to leave in a huff.

The doors to the library slam shut and Techno remains huddled under the table. The man crouches down to his level. “Hello there, I’m Philza.”

Techno manages a wave, trying his hardest to work out what this man could possibly want from him. What he has to gain from doing this. With the lack of a verbal response, the man, Philza, continues. “What’s your name?”

He hesitates before responding, “Technoblade.”

“Can you come with me, Technoblade?” Philza extends a hand toward him.

Techno considers his options. He doesn’t currently have a place to go and even if he could run past Philza, he likely wouldn’t get very far with guards patrolling at the moment. He still can’t work out why Philza protected him, but the fact still stands that he _did_.

Techno figured that if the man saved him, then he owed it to Philza to pay him back for the gesture. He reached out and took Philza’s hand. He supposed he could go with Philza, at least until he paid back the debt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> techno: i guess i could follow this man, just to pay him back for saving me  
> philza: *already making plans to adopt techno*  
> \---  
> This chapter took a lot longer to finish than I thought it would, but outlining for the backstory is complete now :) I’m assuming that this prequel will be about 10k-15k words long based on outline length, and I’ll move back to posting for FWFF once this part is done.


End file.
